


onward from here

by ohvictor



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, Multi, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22582339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohvictor/pseuds/ohvictor
Summary: Chikage, Itaru, and Citron reflect on the past and on their relationship.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Citron, Chigasaki Itaru/Utsuki Chikage, Chigasaki Itaru/Utsuki Chikage/Citron, Citron/Utsuki Chikage
Comments: 3
Kudos: 66





	onward from here

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!!! welcome to my chikaitacito house!!!! i have a lot of thoughts about this ship and managed to cohere a few of them into this fic. i really love all three of these characters and i'd love to write more for this ship, but this is what i have to offer right now.
> 
> this fic contains explicit references to plot points in act 8 of a3's main story, as well as non-explicit references to spring troupe's 5th and 6th plays (post-act 8), so please be careful if you're not caught up!
> 
> thank you to goomba server for yelling with me about chktct, and for everything!

Silence falls across room 103, punctuated only by soft mechanical sounds, Itaru and Citron on their consoles and Chikage on his laptop. A popup on Chikage’s screen, a notification of a flight he purchased a year ago, catches his attention, and he lifts his gaze to his companions, mutually sprawled on Itaru’s couch. Chikage almost doesn’t want to disturb them, especially with this news, but his desire to talk to them wins out eventually. 

“Do you two know what today is?” he asks.

“Suzuki-chan’s birthday,” Itaru says immediately, cueing a soft squeak from Citron and a sudden scramble for his phone. Itaru pats his leg sloppily. “Don’t worry, I got your login bonus already.”

“Itaruuu,” Citron hums gratefully. He crawls forward on the couch to give Itaru a kiss, squashing Itaru underneath him as he goes. Chikage despairs of ever getting them back on topic. “So thoughtful! I always dreamed, back in Zahra, that I would have a cute boy to do my dailies for me...”

“How romantic,” Itaru says, sounding strangled from both emotion and Citron. “I always dreamed of having a cute boy to do dailies for, so it worked out.”

“So well matched,” Chikage says drily.

“What day is it, senpai,” Itaru says, his tone so falsely interested that Chikage knows he’s being humored. He’ll take it, though. 

His hands rest on his laptop keyboard for some small measure of stability as he opens his mouth. “A year ago today, I sent Citron back to Zahra in secret.”

This gets the attention of the other two, stilling Citron in his journey to kiss every inch of Itaru’s face. Chikage spots the guarded look in Citron’s eyes, and hurries to cover; he hadn’t intended that sort of reaction. “I thought, well. We’ve come a long way—in a year.”

“Are you being sappy?” Itaru says, catching on faster than Citron. Maybe it’s to be expected; Citron is still wiping the guilt from his expression, his eyes bright. 

Chikage hesitates, pressing his fingertips against the edges of his laptop. “Something like that. It’s a measure of progress.”

“Chikage is sappy,” Citron coos. His eyes are still distant when Chikage looks, but he’s smiling. “Come over here and join us~”

There’s suddenly a lot Chikage needs to look at on his laptop screen. “There’s not enough room on the couch.”

“Senpaaaai,” Itaru drawls, the corners of his mouth turning up in a mischievous grin. “Come on, you both gave me a lot of heartache back then. You should spoil me for the anniversary.”

Before Citron can react, before his expression can slide back to guilty once again, Chikage erupts into the most dramatic protest he can manage. 

“ _You_ had to deal with heartache,” he says, latching onto the familiar track of giving Itaru a verbal noogie, “and yet I was the one who had to physically sneak Citron out, while if I recall correctly, the only thing on you that hurt was your wallet.” In Itaru’s lap, Citron opens his mouth, but Chikage continues. “No assassination attempts on _your_ life, no chandeliers dropped on your head, no international condemnation—”

“Chikage,” Citron says, and Chikage grinds to a halt, mouth hanging open stupidly for a second before he shuts it. Sometimes he’s very aware that Citron was raised to be a king, to give orders and carry responsibility; this is one of those times. Citron adjusts himself on Itaru’s legs, smoothing a few loose strands of hair back behind one ear. “I appreciate the sentiment. What I did back then was hurtful, and I’m happy to atone—”

“No,” Itaru says quickly, reaching for Citron’s hands. He threads his fingers and Citron’s together and brings them to his mouth, pressing his lips to Citron’s knuckles. “I was teasing. I didn’t think...” _Obviously_ , Chikage thinks. Itaru stops, maybe thinking the same, and tries again. “I don’t want you to feel guilty.”

“I can still spoil you,” Citron says, blinking at Itaru over their joined hands. 

Itaru puffs out a laugh, his eyes scanning Citron’s face. “What am I going to do, say no?” 

He’s aware, Chikage thinks, that he brushed against something painful, but it’s painful for all three of them. Chikage wonders if he shouldn’t have said anything. 

Since he brought it up, introduced the image of a rift into the space between the three of them, it’s his responsibility to soothe it. Chikage shuts the lid of his laptop with a quiet snap and turns his body fully to face the couch, no longer looking over one shoulder. Even now, he can’t look directly into either of his partners’ eyes, and instead looks at the fabric of the couch between them.“I wouldn’t have brought it up if I wanted to make you upset,” he says to the couch cushion. “I truly did mean that it reminds me of the progress we’ve made.”

“The fact that you can say that at all now is a sign of progress,” Itaru agrees. He’s right, but Chikage doesn’t enjoy being called out, so he continues not looking at him. _How much progress is it really_ , his brain scolds him, but he ignores it. He’ll be spiteful until the day he dies, but he can still do good things, sometimes. 

On Itaru’s legs, Citron nods firmly. “All of us being together now is progress. It really has been a wonderful year, no?” He squeezes Itaru’s hands, his smile growing. “Putting on the Kniroun play...”

“You got to do your own lead play,” Itaru chimes in. “Senpai and I got to play hot teachers.”

“Your archetype,” Citron nods. “I wonder if Yuki still has those costumes...”

“He’d never let us touch them if you say it in that tone of voice,” Chikage says.

“Come _here_ ,” Itaru insists, beckoning Chikage with one hand. Chikage makes a face, but Citron starts scooting over, making more room on the couch. It’s a small couch, but Chikage understands the sentiment. The two of them are super touchy-feely; of course they’d want to be cuddling if they’re going to be reminiscing. 

“Let’s go up to bed instead,” Chikage suggests, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. 

Apparently not neutral enough, because Itaru immediately raises his eyebrows. “Are you interested in spoiling me after all, senpai?”

“I think I should be spoiled for having to put up with you,” Chikage huffs. But he gets up from his desk, stretching out his back until he feels it pop satisfyingly. At this, both Itaru and Citron spring up from the couch, and a moment later there are arms around his waist, both of them encircling him. 

“Happy anniversary,” Itaru says. It’s clearly meant as a joke, but the words hang in the air between the three of them, and then Citron nods, his expression thoughtful.

“It is an anniversary of sorts,” he agrees. 

“I’d rather it be our actual anniversary,” Chikage mutters. But he holds the two of them closer all the same. 

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](http://twitter.com/futarinoshoutai)!


End file.
